1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to sighting devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to sighting devices making use of an optical element. More particularly still, sighting devices of the present disclosure may include a partial or incomplete optical element and be used to sight any number of different objects or in a diverse set of applications.
2. Relevant Technology
A variety of different types of gun sights have been widely used. Such sights have included, for instance, open sights, aperture sights, scopes, red dot sights, and laser sights. A common type of open sight is a post-and-notch type sight. Such an open sight may, for instance, include a post that projects upwardly a small distance near the distal end of a gun barrel. To make use of the open sight, the post may be aligned with a notch near the proximal end of the gun. The aligned post and notch can then be placed on or pointed at the target in the field of view.
Aperture sights are available in various varieties. One common aperture sight is a peep sight, and is particularly common on rifles. In its basic form, a peep sight generally includes two openings or holes. One opening is typically mounted near the proximal end of the rifle, and the other opening is mounted towards the distal end of the rifle. The shooter may then make use of the peep sight by aligning the two apertures so as to sight through them at the target. In some cases, an aperture sight may also include a post or blade near the distal end of the gun barrel, and the post or blade may be aligned in the aperture at the proximal end of the gun.
Unlike open sights or aperture sights, a scope makes use of magnification to magnify the target, whereas open sights and aperture sights typically do not magnify the target. Scopes are available in a wide variety of forms, and may include different features for magnification, focus, day/night use, and the like.
In a basic form, a scope makes use of an ocular lens and an objective lens. The objective lens is positioned near the distal end of the gun and controls the amount of light that can be transmitted to the ocular lens. The ocular lens is located nearer the proximal end of the gun, and is the eyepiece through which the user will look through the scope. The scope operates in essentially the same manner as a telescope, and as light passes through the objective ends it will focus on a point inside the scope. The ocular lens magnifies the light from a focal point. In viewing the image through the scope, the light is shown as an image. The scope also typically includes a crosshair reticle that can be aligned on the reflected, magnified image.
Red dot sights and laser sights are also available, and are most common in connection with governmental and military firearms. A red dot sight projects an image of the target, along with a red or other colored dot on top of the projected image. The red dot can then be aligned on a particular location of the projected image to aim the firearm. The red dot on the image is maintained within the housing of the sight, and is not projected outside the end of the sight. In contrast, a laser sight will project one or more laser beams towards a target. The red or other colored laser beam will illuminate the targeted location.
The above discussion relates generally to sights for firearms, but sights may also be used in other applications. For instance, sights may be used in archery or other firearms, or with transits, theodolites, or other types of equipment. In traditional archery bow sights, for instance, multiple aiming points may be mounted to the bow handle. A peephole or other aperture may be mounted on the bowstring. To sight the target, the archer may align the desired aiming point with the target and the peephole.
Regardless of the type of sight that has previously been employed, each sight offers various benefits and drawbacks. Open and aperture sights, for instance, are inexpensive and generally lightweight. Open and aperture sights can also resist, to some degree, undesirable movement or misalignment. While such sights are often suitable for targets at a short distance, existing open and aperture sights are widely considered to lack accuracy at large distances. In addition, precision and/or consistency are often a problem with open and aperture sights, especially for inexperienced shooters, as alignment of proximal and distal sighting elements is required in each instance. Furthermore, such sights often lack a quality illuminating features. For instance, while open sights may use a “glow-in-the-dark” paint dot on one or more of the post or notch tips, such illumination does not solve the drawbacks of such sights, and aperture sights do not typically include an illuminating feature.
Increased accuracy, precision, and/or consistency can, however, be accommodated with a laser sight, red dot sight, or scope. Such accuracy comes at a significant cost, however, as the sights can be very expensive. For instance, sights having an ocular lens and an objective lens can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. In addition to being expensive, sights having increased accuracy (e.g., as compared to open or aperture sights) may also be heavy, use an external power source, or be highly sensitive to lighting conditions. For instance, red dot and laser sights require are often battery-powered, which can be inconvenient and difficult to change, especially in a unexpected shooting situation.
Closed sights, such as red dot sights or scopes, also require a shooter to view the target through an artificial viewing frame of reference. Accordingly, a shooter cannot simultaneously view the surrounding/peripheral environment while looking through the closed lens sight. Such loss of peripheral vision during shooting with a closed sight can be dangerous and can even reduce accuracy, precision, and/or consistency of shot. Furthermore, closed sights can often be laborious to mount and/or may easily become misaligned (e.g., as the gun is shot and/or as the scope is impacted).
Accordingly, what is desired is a sighting device that is lightweight, relatively cost-effective, accurate at small or large distances, effectively illuminated, and/or easily mountable and/or securable to the gun so as to avoid undesirable movement or misalignment.